Sorsogon City -- This city is on the verge of losing its ground water in five to eight years because of global warming, an official of the Sorsogon City Water District revealed.

        Engr. Ronaldo Barbono, SCWD general manager, said the city would lose ground water sources by 2013 to 2016 as reflected by the statistics from their technical and environment section.

        Barbono said Sorsogon City is losing at least ten per cent of its underground water yearly for the last seven years as a result of various human activities that contribute to the worsening environmental condition.

        Records from the SCWD showed that spring sources lose an annuan rate of 12 liters per second (lps) which translates to 1036 cubic meters per day, said Marlon Galias, SCWD Executive Assistant for Environment and Research.

        Galias said that for the past seven years since 2000 wherein they recorded an annual average yield of 155 liters per second, 150 lps in 2001, 120 in 2002, 35 lps in 2003 when El Nino hit Bicol region and went up to 104 lps in 2004, down to 101 lps the following year and only 98 lps in 2006 and now its down to 92 lps this year.

        He said the steady decrease in water sources could be attributed mainly to the change in climatic pattern in the region caused by global warming.

        Galias stressed that Bicol region particularly Sorsogon has Type 2 climate wherein it has an all-wet-no-dry season with a pronounced rainy period from Nomvember to February.

        But he said that this pattern had already changed thus the decrease in rain fall also decreased the ground water sources.

        Galias expressed apprehension that the depletion of the groundwater would cause salt water intrusion which would cause additional harm.

        SCWD gets as much as seventy per cent of its potable water from its deep wells which they distribute to some 8,500 household-concessionaires or about 50,000 individuals.

        Barbono said that with such situation the city would have water crisis if no precautionary measures are implemented immediately.

        As part of the strategy, he said the SCWD has already started identifying surface water sources which it could develop as alternative source of potable water.

        He said they were also considering the possibility of putting up dams to augment water source but lacks fund for such project.

        The SCWD official said they would welcome private sector partners who might want to venture into dam construction.